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HOSPITAL nursing Hayes, Denise D. RN, CRNP, MSNHow to respond to abnormal serum sodium levels
Denise D. Hayes is a senior clinical editor on Nursing2007, an adjunct faculty member at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, Pa., and a nurse practitioner for Nightingale Health and Wellness Services in Norristown, Pa.
doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000302559.47850.bf
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Abstract
Objective : To study clinical manifestations and outcome of hyponatremia and hypernatremia in children with diarrhea.
Method : We compared children aged 0–59 months hospitalized from 1 January to 31 December 2013 with hyponatremia [serum sodium 150 mmol/l] and normonatremia [serum sodium 135–145 mmol/l].
Results : The case fatality was significantly higher among the children with hypernatremia and hyponatremia than normonatremia. A logistic regression analysis adjusting for potential confounders revealed that children with hyponatremia are more likely to have convulsions, have severe acute malnutrition and be of older age compared with children with normal serum sodium. Children with hypernatremia are more likely to have convulsions and dehydration than normonatremic children [for all p < 0.05].
Conclusion : Early diagnosis and prompt management of hypo- and hypernatremia by identifying simple clinical predicting factors of these two conditions in diarrheal children 140,000 patients of all ages annually. Patients often come with diarrheal illnesses and/or other associated problems, including pneumonia, malnutrition, sepsis and electrolyte abnormalities. In the year 2013, the total number of children